It sounds like an ultimatum: if the Bank of Russia does not withdraw $109 billion invested in US debt obligations and does not transfer them to securities in Europe and China, the Federation Council will have to go back to the question of its nationalization.

The current head of VTB actually blocked the decision of the Government for the sale of a blocking stake in the bank. Now the privatization is possible either after the lifting of sanctions, or after the resignation of the stubborn top manager.

On December 9, the State Duma adopted the country's budget for 2017-2019 in the final reading, which can be considered a historical event, at least on paper. Russia reduced government spending in nominal terms for the first time during the reign of Vladimir Putin since the early 2000s.

Alexey Navalny published a video of a huge residence near Ples, which, as he states, belongs to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The latter's press secretary, Natalia Timakova, says that the minister just uses it.